South Side gunmen target house full of people

Armed intruders barged into a house shared by five people in the South Side Flats and pistol-whipped one of them early Thursday morning, police said.

Pittsburgh police said one resident told them that he was sleeping in a first-floor bedroom when three people kicked in the side door on South 11th Street at about 1:15 a.m.

Two of the intruders ran past him and up the stairs while the third stayed in the bedroom, threatened him with a gun and stole $80 and an iPhone, police said.

Two other residents heard the commotion downstairs and peeked out of their rooms, seeing one intruder wearing a black-and-white bandana on his face, and they closed the door until the intruders were gone, police said.

A fourth resident in the house did not see the intruders, nor did they come into his room, police said.

"The fifth victim's bedroom door was kicked in and the actor told him to leave the room. As the victim attempted to leave his bedroom, the actor struck him on the back of the head with a firearm. The injured victim was led to the first victim's bedroom on the first floor where the actor on the first floor watched both of them," police wrote in a media statement.

The robbers took a small safe that had some jewelry in it and ran away, police said.

The only description came from the first-floor victim. He told police that the person who robbed him is a white man, between 20 and 30 years old, wearing a dark camouflage ski mask, a black shirt and black pants.

Anyone who has a tip about the case is asked to call police at 412-323-7151. Callers may remain anonymous.

The pistol-whipping victim was taken to UPMC Mercy with a head laceration and was in good condition, police said.

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